Schools flouting nursery guidelines

Ever since the nursery admission guidelines were released last month, schools have been busy flouting most of them. The guidelines, hailed as being too water-tight for school managements to manipulate, are in fact being openly defied by some. Certain schools have also invited action from the Directorate of Education, even before the formal process of admissions can begin.

According to the guidelines, admissions are to be processed based on the 100-point system. Out of this, 70 points are to go to children living within an eight km radius from the school.

“One school has set its own criteria, like a child living within eight km gets 50 points and a child living within 10 km to 12 km will get 30 points. This school brazenly published all these illegalities on its website and we complained to the Directorate of Education. It was forced to fall in line and now it has published requirements that are in keeping with the guidelines,” said Sumit Vohra of admissionsnursery.com.

He added that he was keeping a hawkish eye on many schools and is already responsible for making three written complaints to the Directorate of Education. Another strange trend is that most schools flouting these guidelines charge money from the lower limit of Rs.3,500 to the upper limit of Rs.15,000 per month.

Instances of schools measuring neighbourhood based on “bus routes” have also come to light. The guidelines specify that neighbourhood can be measured only through aerial or road routes. Also in open defiance is the “upper age limit” being prescribed by many schools, when the entry point of admission can have no upper age limit according to the regulations issued by the Directorate of Education.